


White Knuckles

by arlathann



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:26:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27101920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arlathann/pseuds/arlathann
Summary: Tired of the wall constantly surrounding Ava, Kira Langford decides to tear it down.
Relationships: Female Detective/Ava du Mortain
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	White Knuckles

"Thanks for helping me with that," said Kira as Ava set down the cardboard box she was carrying into the detective's flat.

"It is nothing."

"For you, maybe. Not all of us have vampire strength." Kira's eyes gleamed as she added: "And perfectly sculpted muscles."  
  
Ava stiffened, trying not to give any reaction to Kira's comment. She was well aware of her physique and its effects on others — something she never really cared for — but hearing about it from the detective felt more welcome than she'd care to admit.

"How unfortunate for you to be human then," she replied, her tone as neutral as she could muster.

Kira looked thoughtful for a second before shrugging, her tone casual as she spoke next.

"I wouldn't count myself as particularly unfortunate. Not if it means you're around to help me." She flashed Ava a fond smile.

Ava's brows furrowed in annoyance.

"I won't always be around you."

Kira's gaze softened as she stepped closer to Ava.  
  
"You could be."  
  
Ava swallowed hard, the detective's words and her sudden proximity making her tense. She held her gaze, the sight of Kira's deep brown eyes making her wish she could just get lost in them. Her hand twitched, being drawn to Kira, but she quickly withdrew it before it managed to reach its destination. Whatever she had wished or wanted didn't matter.

"No."

The vampire turned around, getting ready to leave when Kira's exasperated voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Why do you always do that?” 

“Do what, detective?” She responded, turning on her heel to face Kira, her stance stiff and defensive.

“Oh please, stop pretending as if you don't know what I mean. Every time I try to talk to you about," she spread her arms in front of her, not being able to find the right words, "whatever this is, you leave. Why won’t you just talk to me?” The last few words sounded almost desperate.

“I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me!“

“It shouldn’t. It would be better for the both of us. Better for you.” Ava wanted to leave again, having deemed the conversation finished, but her feet seemed to be rooted into the floor.

Kira scoffed and shook her head, her patience seemingly running out as her face twisted into a crooked, bitter smile.

“You know, this cryptic crap is getting real fucking boring." The detective closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. She opened her eyes and made sure Ava's are fixed on hers before she continued.

"I _care_ for you, Ava. I’m so done with pretending I don’t when I think it’s fairly obvious to everyone at this point. And honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can stand having you make me think that maybe, just maybe, you feel the same way, just for you to shut me out again and again. If I misjudged the situation and you feel nothing for me, please just tell me so I can stop making a fool out of myself and just leave you alone.”

Ava didn’t respond, her icy green eyes boring into Kira’s as her hands clenched into fists. She knew Kira was trying to bait her and she wasn't about to indulge her. A few beats of silence have passed before Kira finally broke it, her chin lifting higher in a silent challenge.

"I should have figured you’re gonna be a coward about this.”

With arms stiff at her sides, Ava took a step forward, then another, forcing Kira to back away until her back met the wall. The human looked up at the vampire whose face was just inches away from hers. Ava clenched her jaw as her brow twisted in anger, not directed at Kira — never at Kira — but at herself; at letting Kira get under her skin, into her head, and, most terrifyingly, into her heart. Her eyes never leaving the detective’s, the vampire curled up her top lip revealing pointed fangs.

Ava’s gaze was trained onto the detective’s face, studying her reaction. Maybe once she saw the fear and disgust directed at her on the human’s face, it would be easier for her to stay away, as she should have from the very start. She was foolish and irresponsible to ever let this go so far and it’s past the time to end this. Ava knew the rejection would hurt, but that was the price she’d have to pay for being so weak, for indulging in this absurd fantasy she should have never even thought of nor encouraged.

She saw Kira’s eyes flick swiftly to her fangs before returning to meet her icy stare. To the vampire’s surprise, fear was not the emotion she saw on the detective’s face — Ava wasn’t sure whether it made her feel relieved or terrified.

Kira’s focus returned to Ava’s mouth, looking at it with more softness than Ava would ever expect or think she deserved. She felt the human’s hand touch the side of her jaw softly before Kira leaned forward, reaching up on her tiptoes to lay a gentle kiss on her cheek, grazing the corner of her mouth just so. She leaned back just to be met with Ava’s stunned expression, her fangs retracting as she couldn’t hide the shock from her face.

The thumb of Kira’s right hand, which still hasn’t left the vampire’s jaw, rubbed her cheek softly.

“I’m not afraid of you, Ava.”

The words seemed to have broken Ava out her stupor, and without thinking, she closed the gap between them as she captured Kira’s lips in a desperate kiss. If the detective was shocked, Ava hadn’t noticed it as her senses were overwhelmed by their deafening heartbeats and the heat of the kiss. As their lips moved together in hungry strokes, she felt Kira’s hand move to the nape of her neck, fingers twisting into the hair at the back of Ava’s head. Ava responded in kind by wrapping her arm more firmly around Kira’s lower back as her other hand held her face. She stepped even closer to completely erase the distance between them, her leg slipping between Kira’s thighs as she pulled the woman flush to her body. 

The soft gasp she heard in response seemed to have brought some clarity back into Ava’s thoughts. She broke the kiss, her forehead still touching Kira’s as she looked into her eyes, just to be met with desire burning in them. The detective’s face was flushed and her lips slightly swollen from the passionate kisses.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” said Ava, trying to keep her tone even. She was secretly hoping Kira would tell her to stop; she knew that going forward with this would be a mistake but with the detective’s closeness assaulting her senses, she couldn’t bring herself to really care.

“Don’t stop,” Kira whispered breathlessly, her voice low and hoarse.

That seemed to be all the response Ava need before her lips returned to Kira’s, her strong hands grasping the back of the other woman’s thighs to pick her up. Kira’s legs wrapped around her waist without a pause, bringing the vampire as close to her as possible. Ava’s lips moved from the detective’s lips toward her jaw, covering it with open-mouthed kisses before moving to her neck. Kira let out a quiet whimper as Ava gently nipped at the side of her neck right before replacing her teeth with tongue. The detective instinctively rolled her hips against Ava’s solid form, and she was rewarded with a small growl coming deep from the vampire’s throat. 

Ava pulled away from the wall, carrying Kira in her arms. Her eyes still closed and her mouth busy on Kira's, she moved through the room to settle the other woman down on a chest of drawers. She heard the clattering noise of an object falling to the ground and, by the sound of it, most likely shattering, as she put the human down on the furniture. She hardly cared enough to check what it was, though; she was always telling the detective that having useless objects lying around is impractical and pointless. Kira, however, didn't seem to agree as she broke the kiss and looked down at the remains of the broken lamp. She returned her focus back to Ava.

"Bed," Kira ordered.

Ava didn't have to be told twice.

* * *

  
“I do.”

“Hmm?” came Kira’s lazy response as she looked up at Ava. The two women were wrapped up in each other — Ava on her back with the detective lying on her side right next to her, her head on Ava's shoulder and her arm draped over her torso.

“Care about you. In case that wasn’t clear enough,” said the vampire quickly, trying not to show how flustered she is. Ava silently berated herself for feeling so ridiculous. She was way too old to feel so shy, in front of a human of all things. Even if the human in question seemed to have broken through the carefully crafted wall she put up around herself over all those centuries. Pathetic, really. 

Kira’s answering smile was soft and full of affection, something Ava still hasn’t gotten used to being offered to her so easily. The human nuzzled her nose into Ava’s collarbone as she chuckled softly.

“I figured this might be a possibility. You did do a pretty good job of showing it just a moment ago.” Ava could hear the smirk in the other woman’s voice. She rolled her eyes in response and sighed as she wrapped her arm more firmly around Kira’s shoulders. Still, she couldn’t help the small, content smile from grazing her lips.

“Go sleep.”

**Author's Note:**

> The title of the work comes from a song called White Knuckles by Au/Ra, which I think suits a romanced du Mortain perfectly so you should definitely give it a listen!


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